Buckle Up: Malört, Chicago’s famous (and infamous) spirit, is available in Pennsylvania

A new Citywide combo has entered the bar.

Jeppson’s Malört, a bitter liqueur once reserved for Chicago dive bars, has reached Pennsylvania shelves and backbars. Locals — particularly bartenders and former Chicagoans — are rejoicing. Still, there are some adversaries.

The move comes on the heels of CH Distillery purchasing Jeppson’s in 2018 with the goal of shifting production back home to Chicago (for a while, it was being bottled in Florida) and expanding distribution.

“We are thrilled to expand Jeppson’s Malört to fans — and haters — in Pennsylvania,” Molly O’Neill, national sales director of CH Distillery, said in a statement to The Inquirer. “The enthusiasm we’ve received from both bartenders and Chicago transplants now calling Pennsylvania home has been incredible. With this expanded availability, we’re not only reconnecting with loyal Malört lovers, but also capturing a new audience miles away from our home city.”

Until now, those craving the herbal and botanical sharpness from Malört would have to either head to a neighboring state that carried it — like Maryland or New York — call in a favor, or settle for a dupe. But it was never the same.

Its arrival in the Keystone State was first announced by local bar blog Drink Philly with a flurry of both eager and horrified responses.

The 750 ml bottles retail at Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores statewide for just under $30 after tax. Two buyers have already posted polarizing reviews on the state-run spirits store’s website: “I am Malört’s #1 fan and I’m so glad I’ll soon no longer have to travel to get it,” one user wrote. “Buy only for a gag,” wrote the other.

Greg Harbour is a bartender at Brewery ARS’ South Philly and Fishtown locations and a former Chicago resident. He’s a self-proclaimed Malört lover.

“I love the harsh herbaceous upfront flavor and that bitter a — grapefruit rind finish," he said. “Some people say it tastes like gasoline, which I’m fine with because it means more for people like us.”

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Indeed, Malört is considered an acquired taste.

On a more than decade-old Reddit thread debating what the spirit tastes like, one user said, “it tastes like how Home Depot smells.” Another wrote, “pepper, then basement. But in a good way.” Another put it bluntly: “Imagine all of your hopes and dreams being snuffed out at once. Put that into a shot glass and there you go.”

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesperson Shawn Kelly said the department’s portfolio management team saw an opportunity for “regionally popular, intensely bitter digestifs” and took it with Malört, which is now available across the state’s 200 Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations.

Still, the drink is beloved and serves as a point of pride for Chicago natives. During last year’s Democratic National Convention hosted in Chicago, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called it the “unofficial drink of the conference” and shared shooters with other governors. Some, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, enjoyed it. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy took a pause and simply said, “OK, I’ve gotta think about that.” (Gov. Josh Shapiro was not featured in the video. His thoughts on Malört are unclear.)

While sharing shots, Pritzker also challenged his peers not to make any faces. For those uninitiated, “Malört face” is a commonly used phrase regarding the involuntary facial reactions some imbibers make after the spirit hits their tongues.

Benjamin Kirk, the beverage director at Bastia and Caletta, Fishtown’s buzzy restaurant and companion bar, said he’s looking forward to adding Malört to his program’s backbar.

“I’ve always believed that a well-curated backbar should go beyond guest expectations — it should also serve as a nod to the industry that built us," he said. “At both bars, we regularly incorporate amari and bitter liqueurs to build depth, contrast, and complexity in our cocktails. So having access to Jeppson’s Malört in Pennsylvania is more than just adding another bottle — it’s about broadening our bitter palate and honoring a piece of industry culture."

Kirk says Malört is considered a rite of passage in the Midwest and within the beverage industry. “It’s become an iconic symbol of camaraderie, resilience, and a certain badge of honor kind of hospitality. Being able to pour a shot of Malört in Philly connects us to that larger national community … It’s bitter, unapologetic, and will make itself at home on our backbar.”

And now that it’s here, fans like Harbour are only left wondering: What took so long?

“It really should have made its way to Philly sooner,” Harbour said. “Malört drinkers and Philadelphians have a lot in common — mainly that no one likes us and we don’t care.”